Water-key for trombones.



J. KRAUSE.

WATER KEY FOR TROMBONES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16, 1912.

Patented Jan. .6, 1914.

Josepfi lfinuse.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH KRAUSE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WATER-KEY FOR TROMBONES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH KRAUSE, a subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, residing at Chicago, in the count-y of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Water- Keys for Trombones, of which the following is a specification.

Slide trombones are provided with a water key for draining the moisture which collects in the tubes when the instrument is being played. Such a key is located at the bend of the playing slide, which is some dis tance from the handle, in view of which the key cannot be opened without the player removing his hand from the handle of the slide. In order to obviate this disadvantage, the present invention has been designed, and it consists in a novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is an elevation of a trombone showing the application of the invention. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Referring specifically to the drawing, 5 denotes the relative stationary part of the instrument, said part having a mouth piece 6 and a bell 7 as usual. The playing slide 8 is connected to the stationary part in the ordinary manner, and has a handle 9.

In the bend 10 connecting the two branches of the slide 8 is an out-let opening 11 for the moisture which collects in the instrument when it is being played. The water key for this opening is a valve disk 12 carried by a. lever 13 fulcrumed at 14 to ears 15 on the bend 10. The key is on one end of the lever, and on the other end of the latter is loosely connected a rod 16 which extends parallel along one of the branches of the slide 8, and terminates close to the handle 9, so as to be within easy reach of the players hand which grasps said handle. The terminal portion of the rod has a fingerpiece 17.

To that branch of the slide 8 along which the rod 16 extends is secured a guide tube Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 16, 1912.

Patented Jan. 6,1914.

Serial No. 720,634.

18 through which the rod slidably extends, said tube having tapered ends. Inside this tube is located a spring 19 which is coiled around the rod 16 and bears at one end against an abutment in the form of a cross pin 20 carried by said rod, and at its other end against the adjacent end of the tube. The spring tends to slide the rod forward and thus normally hold the key 12 closed. If the key is to be opened to drain the instrument, the player needs only to reach over with one finger to the finger-piece 17 and pull the rod inward against the tension of the spring 19, and upon releasing the rod, the key is closed by the action of the spring. This actuation of the key is easily effected without the player removing his hand from the handle 9.

The forward end of the rod 16 has a bend 21 to clear the bend 10, and said rod is in sections, which latter are connected by screw joints 22, which enables the sections to be readily removed for repairs or adjustment, The rod is tubular to reduce its weight.

The invention may also be applied to other wind musical instruments in which the water key is located some distance from the plavers hand.

I claim:

A trombone having a handle and a slide. a water key at the U-bend of the slide. a lever carrvinq said key, a rod connected at one end to the lever and having a lateral bend to clear the U-bend of the slide and extending from said bend in the direction of the handle in proximity to which latter it terminates. said rod being in separably connected sections, a guide tube mounted on the slide, through which guide tube the rod passes. and a spring mounted in the guide tube and operating to slide the rod in a direction to actuate the lever to close the key.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH KRAUSE.

WVitnesses Rose M. MINWEGEN, II. G. BATCHELOR.

coplel of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

